--- title: "GitHub Copilot Model Deprecation Nov 16: 5-Step Switch Guide (2026)" description: "GitHub deprecates three Copilot models on Nov 16. Check your editor, org policy and scripts for pinned models, then switch. One exception for annual plans." url: https://cdnping.org/en/blog/github-copilot-model-deprecation-nov-16 language: en published: 2026-10-18 category: "Service updates" tags: ["GitHub Copilot","model deprecation","model switching","team administration","service updates"] source: cdnping.org license: Free to quote and summarize with a link to the url above. --- # GitHub Copilot Model Deprecation Nov 16: 5-Step Switch Guide (2026) On October 15, 2026, GitHub announced that starting November 16 it will deprecate three models across all Copilot experiences: two older Anthropic Opus models and one older OpenAI model. The impact is straightforward. If your editor, organization policy, or scripts pin one of these three models, you will need to move to the newer replacement GitHub recommends after November 16. This article is current as of October 2026. It first covers what the official announcement confirms, then gives you a checklist you can follow. ## What is actually being retired? According to the [official GitHub changelog](https://github.blog/changelog/2026-10-15-upcoming-deprecation-of-selected-github-copilot-models-in-mid-november/): - The effective date is November 16, 2026. - The scope is all Copilot experiences, including Copilot Chat, inline editing, ask and agent modes, and code completion. - The deprecated models are two older Anthropic flagship models and one older OpenAI model. GitHub lists a newer replacement for each. Check the announcement for exact model names. This article does not repeat version names, to avoid any mismatch with the official page. - The [Copilot changelog category page](https://github.blog/changelog/label/copilot/) also has an October 2 entry noting that another batch of Copilot models was already deprecated. This is not the first round. ## Who is affected, and who is not? Two points in the announcement are worth noting: 1. Individual subscribers on an annual plan can keep using one of the older Opus models, so they are not affected by that particular deprecation. 2. Enterprise and Business customers: the recommended replacement models are enabled automatically unless an admin has turned off the global default or disabled the model. If the global default is off, an admin must enable the replacement models manually in the Copilot settings model policy. Once enabled, they appear in the Copilot Chat model picker. Check the official docs for the exact menu location. The announcement also says you do not need to remove the deprecated models by hand afterward. ## How do you check for pinned old models? These five steps go from individual setup to team level. 1. Open the Copilot Chat model picker in VS Code, JetBrains, or your other editor and see whether the selected model is one of the three being deprecated. 2. Check the settings you have saved: user settings, workspace settings, and any prompt files or agent configurations of your own that specify a model. Search them by keyword. 3. Check automation scripts, CI configs, and internal tools for hard-coded model IDs. For example, from the repository root: ```bash grep -rniE "opus|gpt-" --include="*.json" --include="*.yml" --include="*.yaml" --include="*.md" --include="*.sh" . ``` This is only a rough filter. Replace the keywords with the actual model names from the announcement. 4. Admins should check the organization or enterprise Copilot model policy: is the old model still allowed, and have the replacement models been enabled? 5. Switch the default to the new model, run your usual scenarios on a test branch (completion, refactoring, code review), and then notify the team. ## How can admins set a default model? In the October 10 update to Copilot for JetBrains, enterprise admins can use managed settings to pick any available Copilot agent model as the default for new conversations. Users can still change it in the model picker. See the [official changelog](https://github.blog/changelog/2026-10-10-new-controls-and-chat-improvements-in-copilot-for-jetbrains/). This helps with the migration: standardize the default first, then gradually open up individual choice. The exact setting names are defined by the JetBrains plugin and the official GitHub docs. ## What should you watch for after switching? - Output style, speed, and quota consumption may differ between the old and new models for the same task. Do not assume a newer name means better results. - If you tuned prompts or agent instruction files for the old model, spot-check them after the switch. - Quotas, multipliers, and other billing rules are defined by the official GitHub docs. This article does not speculate about them. ## How can you hear about changes like this sooner? - On cdnping, [/en/models](/en/models) shows model additions, removals, and price changes across the major models, and [/en/changes](/en/changes) lets you subscribe to official changelog and pricing page changes. - To build a repeatable tracking routine, see [How to find out right away when an LLM API price changes](/en/blog/track-llm-price-and-model-changes). - Deprecations are not unique to Copilot. For example, after [Gemini 3.7 Flash and 3.5 Flash were deprecated and requests were auto-routed](/en/blog/gemini-flash-deprecation-auto-routing), some users also saw their output change suddenly. - If your team uses several models, see [How to do multi-model routing](/en/blog/multi-model-routing-save-cost). Keep model names in one central config so the next replacement is a one-line change. - When something looks broken, learn to read the status pages first: [How to read the OpenAI and Claude status pages](/en/blog/how-to-read-ai-status-pages). ## Sources - [GitHub Changelog: Upcoming deprecation of selected GitHub Copilot models in mid-November (2026-10-15)](https://github.blog/changelog/2026-10-15-upcoming-deprecation-of-selected-github-copilot-models-in-mid-november/) - [GitHub Changelog: Copilot category page](https://github.blog/changelog/label/copilot/) - [GitHub Changelog: New controls and chat improvements in Copilot for JetBrains (2026-10-10)](https://github.blog/changelog/2026-10-10-new-controls-and-chat-improvements-in-copilot-for-jetbrains/)